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Unlike their earlier producing summer cousins, winter squash usually grow on sprawling vines and produce a squash that is used for its mature flesh. The seeds are scooped out, the rind removed, and the fruit used for its dark orange flesh. If harvested too early, the flesh will be watery, pale and not as flavorful. (Many winter squash have a sweet, 'nutty' flavor.) It will not store very long without drying out. If allowed to stay on the vine until mature, texture and flavor will not necessarily improve, but the squash can be kept for months in a cool basement.
When mature, the skin or rind should be hard enough so it cannot easily be penetrated with your fingernail. Some varieties change to a mature color--buff for butternut, dark green for acorn, dark green, grey or orange for hubbard, yellow for spaghetti squash, or green and white for cushaw or 'sweet dumpling' types, or dark orange for 'delicious' types. For winter storage, make sure the surface is well dried and the skin wiped to remove surface soil. You might disinfect the skin with a solution of 10 parts water to 1 part bleach. Place the squash in a dark, cool location (about 50-55 degrees works best). They should store for 3-6 months depending on the variety. If you suspect that the skin is not hard enough, allow the squash to remain in a warm, dry location for a week or so before putting them in storage. (CWM)
Under the right conditions and with proper management, Kentucky bluegrass can make a beautiful lawn. But bluegrass is not as heat tolerant as tall fescue and the warm-season grasses, so you can expect greater decline during a hot, humid July and August like we experienced this year. Historically, bluegrass has performed best in northeastern Kansas, where there is more annual rainfall, but also grows well in the northwest portion of the state. The following cultivars have performed well relative to other bluegrasses in this region. Use this list as a guide. Omission does not necessarily mean that a cultivar will not perform well. Recommended cultivars for high-quality lawns where visual appearance is the prime concern include Advocate, America, Apollo, Arcadia, Award, Baronie, Blacksburg, Brilliant, Champagne, Glade, Jefferson, Liberator, Midnight, Odyssey, Pick 8, Rugby II, Showcase, Total Eclipse, Unique, and Wildwood. Such lawns should receive 4 to 5 pounds nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year and would typically be irrigated during dry periods to prevent drought stress.
Cultivars that do comparatively well under a lower-input regime where water savings is a prime concern include Baron, Baronie, Caliber, Canterbury, Dragon, Eagleton, Kenblue, North Star, and South Dakota. A typical low-input program for bluegrass would include 1 to 2 pounds nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year and little to no irrigation. Obviously, a low-input lawn will not be as visually attractive as a higher-input lawn, but you can expect the cultivars listed above to look fairly good in the spring and fall, while going dormant in the summer under this type of maintenance regime.
While exclusive Kentucky bluegrass use may be limited to certain parts of Kansas, its use in the rest of the state is a better option when it is mixed with tall fescue. Tall fescue certainly has the advantage during summer, but bluegrass rhizomes offer some "spreading" ability that would be otherwise absent from fescue lawns. Mixing the two species should include 90 percent tall fescue and 10 percent bluegrass (both by weight). While this ratio would seem to favor tall fescue, it is much more even in terms of seed numbers since bluegrass seeds are much smaller than those for tall fescue. Expect tall fescue to emerge first and bluegrass to gradually fill in over time. (MF)
I have a feeling we will see an outbreak of brown patch on tall fescue in eastern Kansas in the next few days. Remember that this disease may continue to damage lawns to some extent throughout the summer. In most cases, fungicides are not necessary to control brown patch on home lawns; the turf will eventually recover. However, if homeowners want blemish-free lawns, they can apply a fungicide. Homeowner-packaged products that are labeled for brown patch include thiophanate methyl (Fertilome Halt), propiconazole (Fertilome Liquid Systemic Fungicide) and triadimefon (Bayleton). All of these products work best if applied before symptoms develop. The fungicide chlorothalonil (Daconil) is no longer labeled for home lawn use. Several commercial fungicides (Heritagae and Prostar) will give better and longer lasting (one month) control. (NT)
Summer patch is widespread on Kentucky bluegrass this summer. Early wet weather in May and June followed by high temperatures were conducive for summer patch development. Look for small circular or frogeye patches developing in the lawn. Patch margins often have a bright yellow appearance. Summer patch is very difficult to suppress in home lawns after symptoms appear. (NT)
We normally think of woody plants flowering in the spring or early summer, but there are some that flower later in the growing season. These can add color to summer landscapes.
Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is a tall shrub that produces single or double flowers in the colors ranging from white to red, purple or violet or combinations, depending on the variety.
Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) are dwarf to tall shrubs or trees. They are not reliably winter hardy in Kansas and often die back to the ground. It has been a number of years since we have had a severe enough winter in the Manhattan area to kill back the crapemyrtle. Some plants are now over 8 feet tall.
Crapemyrtle flowers on new wood so plants pruned (or killed) to the ground while dormant in late winter or early spring will bloom later the same year. Flower color varies from white, pink, purple to deep red on different plants.
Caryopteris x clandonensis is known as bluebeard, blue-spirea, blue-mist shrub or caryopteris. It usually is found with blue flowers, but some cultivars have a bluish-violet to violet flower color. Plants are usually cut back in late winter or early spring. Flowers are borne on the current season's growth.
Sweet Autumn clematis (Clematis paniculata or maximowicziana) is a vigorous vine with large masses of small, white flowers which have a wonderful fragrance. Be careful with this one; it can easily outgrow its bounds. It is often a good idea to cut it back to the ground in early spring.
Davidiana clematis (Clematis heracleifolia var. Davidiana) is a bush-type clematis with small but interesting violet blue flowers. Female plants bear interesting fluffy seed heads into the winter. This clematis needs to be cut back to the ground each year to help maintain the shape of the plant.
The PeeGee hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata Grandiflora) is a somewhat coarse plant that develops large clusters of white flowers. It can be trained into a tree-like form. (WU)
Lilac borers are insects whose larvae bore into stems usually during May and June. A sawdust-like material call frass is often seen around the base of stems after it has been pushed out the hole made by the borer. Canes often wilt and die during late summer especially if the summer has been dry. The larvae passes the winter inside the dead canes and pupates the following spring, usually during April. The adult, clear-winged moth resembles a wasp and often emerges during May through June though there is a great deal of variability. Eggs are laid on the stems of lilac, and the cycle starts over again. There is one generation in Kansas.
Though it is too late to spray for lilac borer this year, removal and destruction of dead canes will help reduce populations next year. (WU)
We are starting to see very noticeable natural needle drop on pines. This is a process where 2- to 4-year-old interior needles turn yellow, then brown, and eventually drop off. Those who aren't familiar with this process often are concerned about the health of the tree. This is a natural phenomenon that occurs every year and does not hurt the tree. However, some years it is much more noticeable than others. Be sure to check that only the older needles are affected --the needles on the tips of the branches should look fine--and that there is no spotting or banding on the needles that are turning yellow. If spotting or banding is noted, take a sample into your local county extension office for diagnosis. (WU)
Contributors:
Ward Upham, Extension Associate; Matt Fagerness, Turfgrass; Chuck Marr, Vegetables; Ned Tisserat, Plant Pathologist
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